Hot Topics:

Tuition, fee increases put strain on students

Study: Mass. college costs up 36 percent in five years

The Lowell Sun

Updated:
03/23/2013 06:35:17 AM EDT

By Allison Thomasseau

Statehouse Correspondent

An average 36 percent increase in tuition and fees at Massachusetts state colleges and universities over the last five years has made the cost of attending state schools increasingly unaffordable for Massachusetts students, according to a higher-education report.

"Students may say, 'When I see a sticker price that's out of my means, that makes me think twice about applying,'" said Monnica Chan, policy and research director of the New England Board of Higher Education, which published the report.

The report said that since 2008, state tuition at UMass Lowell increased 36 percent, from $8,732 to $11,848 per year. Fitchburg State University's in-state tuition increased 45 percent, from $5,992 to $8,710 per year.

Average tuition for Massachusetts public four-year universities is $9,560 per year, nearly 19 percent above the national average of $8,056 per year.

The report said the increases, combined with stagnant median family income, make it harder for students to pay for college.

According to the U.S. Census, Massachusetts median family income was $62,859 in 2011, compared to $67,514 in 2007.

Robert Connolly, a spokesman for the UMass system, said reduced state funding has put a bigger financial burden on students and their families.

"The state appropriations is virtually flat, it's even down in some cases, and that has forced the university to make up for that in tuition," he said.

Advertisement

Connolly said the state pays for 43 percent of the university's operating costs, which is down from 57 percent five years ago.

Brian Dano, president of the UMass Lowell Student Government Association, said students agree with tuition increases as long as they can see where the money goes, such as building renovations.

UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan acknowledged that tuition is too expensive for many students, but said the increasing rates reflect a higher-quality education.

"We have made commitments to enhance student life, and that costs money," he said.

Meehan also attributed tuition hikes to inadequate state funding.

"If you factor in inflation, the cost of education has gone slightly down, but what has changed is who pays for it, and that has shifted from the state to the students," he said.

Meehan supports increasing state funding to cover half of the university's costs -- a goal of Gov. Deval Patrick's $34.8 billion budget plan. The governor's proposed UMass systemwide increase of $25 million funding would allow UMass Lowell to freeze tuition increases for two years, Meehan said.

Matthew Bruun, director of public relations at Fitchburg State, said in an email that the university's dramatic fee increases were needed for building improvements.

"These projects contribute positively to the student experience that is at the center of what we do," he said.

Similar to funding for the UMass system, state funding for Fitchburg State has shrunk. Bruun said the state went from paying 70 percent of operating costs in the 1990s to less than 35 percent.

"We are constantly mindful of the impact fee increases have on our students, balancing our needs to stay current against diminishing levels of state budgetary support," Bruun said.

Four-year colleges are not the only higher-education institutions with rising costs.

Chan said two-year community colleges traditionally are a more affordable option for low-income families, but institutions such as Middlesex Community College and Mount Wachusett Community College have both increased tuition over 30 percent since 2008.

"Community colleges are seen as an access point, especially for students from low-income families, but pricing is definitely disconcerting," Chan said. For the 2012-13 school year, in-state tuition was $5,330 per year at Middlesex Community College, up from $3,860, and $5,740 per year at Mount Wachusett Community College, up from $4,420.

Chan said the effects of steep tuition hikes could be minimized through additional higher-education funding or by changing financial aid policy from being merit based to need-based.

However, she said universities still need to address the high sticker price of education.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sun. So keep it civil.